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Media outlets protest to demand reopening of three radio stations

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(MFWA/IFEX) - On 10 March 2011, most privately-owned radio stations and newspapers in Lome, capital of Togo, suspended their normal activities in protest against the continued closure of three radio stations since December 2010.
The Media Foundation for West Africa's (MFWA) correspondent in Togo reported that while the radio stations played music throughout the day, the newspapers, with the exception of state-owned daily "Togo Presse" and the privately-owned "Forum de la Semaine", were not on the newsstands.

The correspondent said the decision of the journalists to suspend their programmes followed a declaration of "No Press Day" by the media group, SOS Journalistes en danger, to put pressure on the Posts and Telecommunications' Regulatory Authority (ART&P) to allow the stations to operate.

The radio stations, namely X-Solaire, Metropolys and Providence, were closed down on 29 December 2010 by the ART& P following accusations of operating illegally since they did not have the required registration documents and standard broadcasting equipment.

Since the closure of the stations, there has been a series of press conferences and demonstrations for them to be reopened but all have fallen on deaf ears.

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